Graham makes blistering attack on cost of war

[lkinsale]

MSNBC

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testified Wednesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee that continuing operations in Iraq were costing the United States about $3.9 billion a month, roughly twice the amount Pentagon officials estimated in April would be needed.

Graham, a former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, chose to use that statement as the basis for a blistering new attack Thursday in which he said it was "shameful that President Bush has kept these figures hidden from the American people and Congress."

In a statement his office released Thursday afternoon, Graham charged that leading the country into war "without revealing the true cost of the operation ... was an abdication of President Bush's responsibility." He said the "deception" was part of a "pattern of secrecy and manipulation that has become commonplace in the Bush White House."

"No President in history has been so willing to hide facts from America," he said.

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I must say, this took even me aback, that it's costing so much. My mother, stauch Bush supporter, said to me over a month ago that she thought the war was needed (because of the WMD'S) but added that she was not pleased with Bush for saying we'd be spending billions to reconstuct the country. I think this cost-of-Iraq issue will tell in a major way over time.

Graham will be on Meet the Press on Sunday, July 13. Hopefully he'll push this and the "deceptions" hard.

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[Old and In the Way]

1. The State of Maine is running a $1BB budget deficit and there

are many more States in worse shape. Our local property taxes are increasing to reflect the budget shortages for schools.

Everyone will be paying for George's adventure in Iraq...except the very rich who the Republicans are giving undeserved windfall rebates to.

It is class warfare, make no mistake about it.

[lkinsale]

3. $1 billion? Gee, that's the cost of ONE WEEK in Iraq

This is ridiculous. They fight tooth and claw over every dime they might spend on a poverty-level grandmother's prescriptions (must make sure some private insurer gets their cut!) and let this kind of money just hemorrhage. And can't find WMD'S anyway.

[polpilot]

2. Kudos to Graham. Enuff is enuff. n/t